A highly functional EHR can facilitate better care by providing complete, accurate and up-to-date information for patients and physicians. But realizing such improvements requires the involvement of physicians who actively engage patients in the information gathering process. So said Peter Basch, MD, medical director of ambulatory EHR and health IT policy at Medstar Health in Maryland, at the Nov. 17 annual meeting of the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health IT.

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), part of the National Institute of Health, will host a competition for undergraduate students to design and develop new diagnostic and therapeutic devices, as well as new technologies to help underserved communities and the disabled.

In a Nov. 15 letter to members of Congress, Consumers Union urged reauthorization of the Medical Device User Fee Actcurrently set to expire Sept. 30, 2012and outlined ways to improve oversight of medical device clearance processes. The letter appeared Tuesday morning prior to a meeting of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on medical devices.

Responding to industry-wide scrutiny of the clearance process for medical devices, Jeffrey Shuren, MD, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), said a root cause of the perceived lack of predictability, consistency and transparency is funding.

Oxford Instruments has purchased Platinum Medical Imaging for $18 million, with a deferred payment of up to $37 million over the next three years. The additional payment is dependent upon the companys performance over that time period.